Electrode for neon type of luminous tubes



May 31, 1932. R. c. HYDE 1 `EIIJEK'I'TRODE FOR NEON TYPE OF LUMINOUS TUBES Filed July 6. 1929 I' 'l tain amount of sputterin'g'occurs,

' 1 5 creases the eife'ctive lifeof the tubes.. In the process of mamutacturing the neon a neon type .of

' Patented May' 31, 132 l UNITED- STATES PATENT-j @met 'RALPH cima, orLos ANGELES, cALIronmAJssIGNon, BY MEsNn assrennnn'rs,

'ro cLAUDENEoN nmcrmesnrnonuczrs conformaron, Lmn. ,'or WILMINGTON,

DELAWARE.; coBronA'rIoN en .nmwann' 'EnEel-:nonngron NEON TYPE or LUMINoUs'TUBEs .Application and unerase. .seal no, $6,351.".

' This invention relates to an.. improvement in theA electrode utilized upon the neon type -ofluminous tubes. By the neontype ot`.lu'I

minous tubes is meant to include all of those 5 luminous tubes in which such gases as neon;

Y .ar on, helium, etc. are employed, l' l A11 the neon type'of luminoustube, the life of the tube `is dependent'inonsidcrable part upon the extent of sputtering of the electrodes 10 of the tube. It is customary. to employ large electrodes or other'equivalent means for Vreducing sputtering; at'the electrodes. -How ever, it is found at in any7 such cases, acerwhich 'de'- type ofv tubes, it is desirable that the elecf' trodes of the tube'be thoroughly processed for removalof occludedga'ses.: This process 20 generally requires that the electrodes 4ofthe tube be highly heated.

Y. lelectrodes crac g the `:glass 'of the neon .type

tubes,. a spacing means mustbe provided be- V'It isfthegen'eral objectv of the present im,

n vention to provide a neon type of luminous tube with'an'electrode'n which the electrode includes a novel' form of means .for'spaci'ng the Ielectrodes. from the'.wal1 s of the tube, "which is of simple and economical construcrtion.' It .isa further object of'thepresent invention to provide an' electrode for a neon type of luminous4 tube, whichv electrode. includes I cracking the Sallie;v

vtween-the bodyl ofthe electrodes and the tube.

- surrounding the electrode .Without danger off Itis a further obj of the present inv'en- It is a further object or" thhegpresent invenrthe present linvention will i be' understood from the description of afpretterred form orn pose there is hereafter described, xin connec- -example of a neon tube and electrode'therefor embody-ing the invention'. A liorithis pur` tion'with' the accompanying drawings, a prefel-red form or example ofaneontube and electrode therefor embodying the invention.

In the drawings; v- Flgure 1 is an elevation of a neon type of lyl in vertical section.

.Figure-2 isa section von the line of o b lumlnous tube and electrode therefor, main-1 helium, argon and neon series andusually 7 to -l() millime'terso pressure, although higher pressures'may be'empl6yed.-'-The glass A tublng at its end, is enlarged' somewhat, as' In order to reve'nt the temperature of the neon. .The gasin the'tbe'is preferably a-t -1 indicated :1t-3, to orm'electrode chambers 4 housingthe electrodes V5. l r

in a solid. stateas' distinguished from'met'al. 1n 'a hquld state, such as'cOpper, and in the particular form ofthe inventiongsh'own, are generally tubular infshape. The electrodes 5 are provided' withlead wires 6. by which the .tube .maybe energized from a suitable source-- 'of 'electrical potential, the wirebeing .'fused,`.x

as indicated at 7, inthe ends-of the glass tubi .Th'elctreas 5. afegf outside diameter.. o but slightly smallerth'anlthe .inside diameinsulating means winch w1l1 perm1 t-the elec'- trede to approach more-nearly the` glass walls ter ofthe enlargements 'tutthz'a` glass tubing The .electrodes 5 are preferablyof'gmet'al i 2,"which house thev electrodes. Wrapped 'around .the electrodes and-disposed between the electrodes and walls of'tlie glass tubing, are provided sheets of Vmica 8. orother equiv- .alent insulating material. Suficiel'ity turns of.'Y

mica are provided between the electrode and 1 inner walls of the'glasssurrounding thesame 'as to substantiall'y ill' the intervening space..Y

Preferably,'the mica insulatingsheetisexf.-

tended, as indicated at 9, `somewhat beyond l. .the i 1'11 1er'endsy of the 'electrodes It has been found, or'reasons not 'atpresent fully comprehended-,that the extension of the insulating wrapping around the electrode increases the life obtained from the luminous tube,

In practice the wrapping or covering of the electrode by a sheet of insulating material, such as mica, which fills the intervening space between the metal elec-trode and the glass housing surrounding the same, operates to prevent the heat of the electrode crackin the surrounding glass housing.

' Ioreover, the wrapping of insulating material such as mica around the electrode is found to prevent the current being drawn back on the outer side of the electrode and thereby the Wrapping operates materiall to prevent sputtering of the electrodes. eon tubes provided with the electrode herein described, on test have been found topossess over twice the life that the tube of the same type with other electrodes possess.

lVhile the electrode herein described is Well suited for carrying out the objects of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular 'form but includes all such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a gaseous discharge tube having an envelope enclosing a gas filling, an electrode formed of solid material within said envelope, and a sheath of mica surrounding said electrode and interposed between said electrode and the adjacent walls of said envelope.

2. In a gaseous discharge tube having an envelope enclosing a gas filling, an electrode formed of solid material within said envelope and having a substantially cylindrical exterior surface, a tubular sheath of mica covering the exterior of said electrode and intei-posed between said electrode and the adjacent Walls of said envelope.

3. In a gaseous discharge tube having an envelope enclosing a gas filling, an electrode formed of solid material Within said envelope, and'having a cylindrical outer surface of nearly the same external diameter as the internal diameter of said envelope, and a sheath of mica covering said electrode and substantiallyfilling the space between said electrode and said envelope.

4. In a gaseous discharge tube having an envelope enclosing a gas filling, an electrode formed of solid material within said envelope, and having a cylindrical outer surface of nearly the same external diameter as the internal diameter of said envelope, land a wrapping of sheet mica covering the exterior surface of said elect-rode and substantially filling the space between said electrode and said envelope.

5. In a gaseous discharge tube having an envelope enclosing a gas filling, an electrode formed of solid material within said envelope, and a sheath of mica surroundin said electrode and interposed between sai electrode and the adjacent walls of said envelope, said sheath of mica extending inwardly of said envelope beyond the inner end of said electrode.

)6. In a gaseous dischar e tube having an envelo enclosing a gas ling, an Aelectrode forme of solid material within said envelope and having a cylindrical outer surface of 'nearly the same external diameter as the internal diameter of said envelope, and a Wrapping of sheet mica covering the exterior surface of said electrode and substantially filling the space between said electrode and said envelo said wrappin of mica extending inwar 1y of said enve ope beyond the inner end of said electrode. v

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 28th day of June, 1929.

RALPH C. HYDE lio 

